MacPhail: Deal is dead (p. 297), stop posting, go outside

[98navigator]

OH

 

Screw this deal. Let's trade B-Rob to the Rockies for Holliday and Tulowitzki. B-Rob is a better leadoff hitter than both of them.

:pig: :pig: :lol:

[CUBZ99]

If I was Adam Dunn's size, I'd be a MLB All-Star right now.

 

I literally read nothing after this statement. I love it.

 

Why? It's completely true. I was a .500 hitter in HS. A high .300 hitter in college. But I had no home runs. Give me an extra 100 pounds and I'd be batting .500 in college with 20 HRs. That equals mlb and further. Come on, we can say this about so many other players too. Why do you think everyone turned to steroids? Because if you are big in baseball you have that much more of an advantage.

xxxx xxxx xxxx (don't want to give ideas out on figuring out someone's real life identity)

Edited February 19, 2008 by CUBZ99

[98navigator]

This would back up the bigbird report from today...

 

From Roch's (O's beat writer) blog at Baltimore Sun

 

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/roch/blog/

 

Brian Roberts doesn’t want fans to get the impression that he is miserable with the Orioles and is pushing for a trade, but he concedes that the idea of playing for a contender is appealing to him. Not exactly breaking news.

 

“It’s a touchy situation because I love the Orioles,” he said. “I’ve been here since Day One and I do want to see this organization win. I made a commitment when I signed my deal. But certainly, on the other hand, when you see two of your best players gone, a lot of unknowns come in. Very talented, I’m sure, but unknowns nonetheless. The organization essentially has conceded that we probably won’t win for a couple years. It’s hard to swallow at first. But wherever I end up, I’ll do my job.”

 

Asked if he expected to be with the Orioles on Opening Day, Roberts said, “I don’t know what to expect anymore. I don’t try to predict anymore.”

 

Roberts said he’s had “a little bit of communication” with club officials but hasn’t requested a trade.

 

“I would never call this organization and say, ‘I want to be traded, I need to be traded, get me out of here,’” he said.

 

In a perfect world, Roberts would get that chance to win here. That’s his first choice.

 

From the same blog:

 

...Kevin Millar is guaranteeing a championship in 2008. And he wants it on the record.

He even predicts that he’ll homer off the Cubs’ Ryan Dempster in the World Series.

:lol:

[Sammy Sofa]

This would back up the bigbird report from today...

 

From Roch's (O's beat writer) blog at Baltimore Sun

 

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/roch/blog/

 

Brian Roberts doesn’t want fans to get the impression that he is miserable with the Orioles and is pushing for a trade, but he concedes that the idea of playing for a contender is appealing to him. Not exactly breaking news.

 

“It’s a touchy situation because I love the Orioles,” he said. “I’ve been here since Day One and I do want to see this organization win. I made a commitment when I signed my deal. But certainly, on the other hand, when you see two of your best players gone, a lot of unknowns come in. Very talented, I’m sure, but unknowns nonetheless. The organization essentially has conceded that we probably won’t win for a couple years. It’s hard to swallow at first. But wherever I end up, I’ll do my job.”

 

Asked if he expected to be with the Orioles on Opening Day, Roberts said, “I don’t know what to expect anymore. I don’t try to predict anymore.”

 

Roberts said he’s had “a little bit of communication” with club officials but hasn’t requested a trade.

 

“I would never call this organization and say, ‘I want to be traded, I need to be traded, get me out of here,’” he said.

 

In a perfect world, Roberts would get that chance to win here. That’s his first choice.

 

Hmmmmm, interesting. A very diplomatic article, but I wonder...

[TheGrinch]

To come to Deuce's defense again, to makes perfect sense that sliding into first is indeed faster. Think about it in terms of center of gravity of the person running. By falling and extending your arms to the bag, you can touch the bag while having to travel a shorter distance. You lose a little bit of overall speed doing so at the very end, but it is more than made up for by the decreased distance you have to travel (center of gravity-wise). As for the Steve Stone counter to this idea, (Why don't sprinters slide into the finish line?) that argument sucks on a lot of levels. First off, the rules for the end of a race say that the torso is what counts. Also, you don't have to touch an object on the ground, just pass by a line. If it weren't for those two rules, I'm positive you would see any sprint of significance ending with a slide. Not coincidentally, you always see sprinters leaning/lunging their torsos forward to end every race, the sprinting equivalent to a slide.

 

As for injuries...I'm sure the likelihood increases in most situations. And sliding into 1st most definitely won't mean you will get to 2nd base faster. Loss of momentum and having to stand back up cost way more than anything gained by a shorter path.

 

If I was Adam Dunn's size, I'd be a MLB All-Star right now.

This might be my new sig, though.

 

On a side note, if I had Theriot's spunk and heart, I'd continue to suck at baseball.

[DeuceBaseman]

anyways, to answer my old question, it sounds like you would rather have a .300 hitter with a .400 SLG up in a critical game situation than a .240 hitter with a .500 SLG. am i right?

 

yes, but it depends on the situation and the hitter.

[UMFan83]

More (new) from Roch in the Baltimore newspapers:

 

Team president Andy MacPhail met with reporters in the dugout after Bancells was finished. He said that he spoke with Brian Roberts regarding a possible trade, and the Orioles' second baseman was "very careful and respectful not to voice any trade demands."

 

MacPhail described Roberts as being "curious" about the situation.

 

MacPhail also said more than one team is interested in Roberts, though you only hear about the Cubs, and that he doesn't see any deals on the horizon.

 

MacPhail will meet with his pro scouts at the end of the month to discuss available players - or as he described it, "other teams' surpluses."

[David]

lol... MacPhail is so annoying for some reason. I can't even stand to read one of his quotes.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I'm pretty sure there have been studies larger than 10 random people that have shown sliding into first base slows you down. Also, the potential for injury sliding feet first where the first baseman is holding the bag makes it much more dangerous than sliding into any other bag.

[Post Count Padder]

OH insider said that Roberts has asked to be traded soon(if they are going to trade him). He thinks things have heated up considerably and that Roberts and Payton will be coming to the Cubs.

*pessimism*

[David]

Belkast just posted the following...

 

Just to back BB's statement....Roberts has said that he wants this thing to be resolved but it has been awhile since he told the FO that. Make no mistake about it, Roberts wants to play for a competitive team.

 

When someone said something to the effect of, "Well, duh, isn't that obvious? Who wouldn't?" he responded...

 

I guess I should have been more clear. Roberts doesn't want to be on a rebuilding team....... Is that better?

 

Then when asked if Angelos would have enough respect for Roberts to give him what he wants...

 

Yes he does! It has to be a good deal. 4-1, 5-1 type of deal.

[TheGrinch]

I'm pretty sure there have been studies larger than 10 random people that have shown sliding into first base slows you down. Also, the potential for injury sliding feet first where the first baseman is holding the bag makes it much more dangerous than sliding into any other bag.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Does_sliding_into_a_base_make_you_reach_base_faster

Spent about 20 minutes looking for a scientific study that wasn't all talk and included testing...came up with nothing.

 

It is really really interesting to me that Deuce has the progressive, science-based stance on sliding into first, and most rail against him on it with Deuce's own "but people say it sucks so it must be true" argument. That said, even taking for granted that sliding into first is faster (slightly if you do it right), the risk for injury increases so much its probably not worth it unless its an ultra important game/situation.

Edited February 19, 2008 by TheGrinch

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Then when asked if Angelos would have enough respect for Roberts to give him what he wants...

 

Yes he does! It has to be a good deal. 4-1, 5-1 type of deal.

 

Good deal apparently means fleecing Hendry.

[David]

Then when asked if Angelos would have enough respect for Roberts to give him what he wants...

 

Yes he does! It has to be a good deal. 4-1, 5-1 type of deal.

 

Good deal apparently means fleecing Hendry.

 

Apparently.

[CyHawk_Cub]

Nice to see there are actually a few posts about the BRob rumors... It's tiring seeing this thread become a catch-all for peeing matches to break-out. Here's a novel thought: if you wanna debate sliding into first base, or even the merits of batting avg as a relevant stat, how about starting a thread in Discussions?

[TheGrinch]

Nice to see there are actually a few posts about the BRob rumors... It's tiring seeing this thread become a catch-all for peeing matches to break-out. Here's a novel thought: if you wanna debate sliding into first base, or even the merits of batting avg as a relevant stat, how about starting a thread in Discussions?

That would maybe make sense 180 to 160 pages ago.

[CubinNY]

Nice to see there are actually a few posts about the BRob rumors... It's tiring seeing this thread become a catch-all for peeing matches to break-out. Here's a novel thought: if you wanna debate sliding into first base, or even the merits of batting avg as a relevant stat, how about starting a thread in Discussions?

You want some cheese with that whine? There is no news. We've had a smattering of published media reports, a few comments from Mr. Miles and massive amounts of speculation disguised as "rumor" from "sources" or "guys".

[David]

Nice to see there are actually a few posts about the BRob rumors... It's tiring seeing this thread become a catch-all for peeing matches to break-out. Here's a novel thought: if you wanna debate sliding into first base, or even the merits of batting avg as a relevant stat, how about starting a thread in Discussions?

You want some cheese with that whine? There is no news. We've had a smattering of published media reports, a few comments from Mr. Miles and massive amounts of speculation disguised as "rumor" from "sources" or "guys".

 

It's not like he's wrong. I don't necessarily take issue with the things he's pointing out, but he's completely right.

[Sterling30]

Nice to see there are actually a few posts about the BRob rumors... It's tiring seeing this thread become a catch-all for peeing matches to break-out. Here's a novel thought: if you wanna debate sliding into first base, or even the merits of batting avg as a relevant stat, how about starting a thread in Discussions?

You want some cheese with that whine? There is no news. We've had a smattering of published media reports, a few comments from Mr. Miles and massive amounts of speculation disguised as "rumor" from "sources" or "guys".

 

Of all the posts among the last 200 pages, I can think of hundreds more deserving of a "cheese with that whine" rebuff.

[CubinNY]

Nice to see there are actually a few posts about the BRob rumors... It's tiring seeing this thread become a catch-all for peeing matches to break-out. Here's a novel thought: if you wanna debate sliding into first base, or even the merits of batting avg as a relevant stat, how about starting a thread in Discussions?

You want some cheese with that whine? There is no news. We've had a smattering of published media reports, a few comments from Mr. Miles and massive amounts of speculation disguised as "rumor" from "sources" or "guys".

 

Of all the posts among the last 200 pages, I can think of hundreds more deserving of a "cheese with that whine" rebuff.

Ok, I probably should have whipped it out at the .500 BA in high school post. Fair enough. Anyway, anyone who clicks on this thread should know that this is the thread about nothing. It says so right in the title. The last update was pg. 180somithing.

[The Voice of Reason]

Nice to see there are actually a few posts about the BRob rumors... It's tiring seeing this thread become a catch-all for peeing matches to break-out. Here's a novel thought: if you wanna debate sliding into first base, or even the merits of batting avg as a relevant stat, how about starting a thread in Discussions?

You want some cheese with that whine? There is no news. We've had a smattering of published media reports, a few comments from Mr. Miles and massive amounts of speculation disguised as "rumor" from "sources" or "guys".

 

Of all the posts among the last 200 pages, I can think of hundreds more deserving of a "cheese with that whine" rebuff.

Ok, I probably should have whipped it out at the .500 BA in high school post. Fair enough. Anyway, anyone who clicks on this thread should know that this is the thread about nothing. It says so right in the title. The last update was pg. 180somithing.

 

Should it be renamed the Seinfeld thread?

[CyHawk_Cub]

Nice to see there are actually a few posts about the BRob rumors... It's tiring seeing this thread become a catch-all for peeing matches to break-out. Here's a novel thought: if you wanna debate sliding into first base, or even the merits of batting avg as a relevant stat, how about starting a thread in Discussions?

You want some cheese with that whine? There is no news. We've had a smattering of published media reports, a few comments from Mr. Miles and massive amounts of speculation disguised as "rumor" from "sources" or "guys".

 

Of all the posts among the last 200 pages, I can think of hundreds more deserving of a "cheese with that whine" rebuff.

Ok, I probably should have whipped it out at the .500 BA in high school post. Fair enough. Anyway, anyone who clicks on this thread should know that this is the thread about nothing. It says so right in the title. The last update was pg. 180somithing.

 

Should it be renamed the Seinfeld thread?

 

I could get behind that... Plus it sends an unequivocal message that this thread is clearly about nothing, whereas anything in this forum is SUPPOSED to be about transactions (potential or otherwise) :grin: ....and no, I'm not trying to (nor want to be) a mod..

[Rob]

I think guys with better batting averages are better pure hitters than guys with a lot of HRs. The guys like Adam Dunn are good because they are big and strong. If I was Adam Dunn's size, I'd be a MLB All-Star right now. I would take Adam Dunn over David Eckstein any day. But when we were talking about comparing 2 players we just talked about AVG and OBP. No one ever mentioned slugging. If you just take the 2 stats alone and you have one guy batting .240 with a .370 OBP (very rare) and a guy batting .300 with a .320 OBP (even more rare) then heres what you get: In 500 at bats the 1st guy gets 99 hits and 86 walks while the 2nd guy gets 146 hits and 14 walks. That equals 47 extra hits and 72 fewer walks. So the guy with more walks gets on base 25 more times over the course of the year.(1) Out of those 47 extra hits, if 25 of them are for extra bases then you already get the same amount of total bases. (2)Or if he steals one base then its an extra total base for him because hes probably fast. Plus hits also drive in runs where walks usually don't. Based on those 2 stats alone, i'd take the guy with the .300 avg. But it is highly likely that the guy with the .240 avg is also hitting 40 HRs and thats why he is walking so much. But thats not what were talking about. We're talking about batting average and OBP. Guys with .240 averages and .370 obp are not good hitters. They are big strong guys who swing as hard as they can and more than half of the time miss the ball completely. If you take a lot of walks it doesnt mean your a good hitter. It means that you are big and strong so the pitcher is afraid of you because you can hit the ball a long way, and it means that you know how to lay off a pitch out of the strike zone for the most part. That means you have good plate discipline, but doesnt mean your a good hitter. Albert Pujols is a good hitter. Miguel Cabrera is a good hitter. Todd Helton is a good hitter. Ichiro is a good hitter. These guys have high averages. (3)If there is a guy on 1st and 2nd base in a tie game in the last inning with 2 outs, who would you rather have up; Orlando Cabrera or Rickie Weeks. You want the better hitter up. One bats .300 with a lower OBP but low k's. The other one has a low average but high OBP but a ton of k's. Cabrera is your best bet. Guys with higher averages are the better hitters. But they might not take many pitches because they know what they want and hit the ball when they see it. That's my opinion, I might be a little biased because I was a high average low power hitter in HS and College, but that's just how I see it. You guys can have your opinion but I'll stick with mine.

 

1) You can't assume that the .300 hitter is the only one getting extra bases. In fact, he's much less likely to be getting XBH. That margin is only gonna get wider.

 

2) SB can't move the guys ahead of him up a base. They don't have the same value as regular total bases. If you want to call that a wash with the fact that walks can't move a runner up more than one base at a time, I'd be amenable to that.

 

3) You're operating under the assumption that if you don't win the game in that PA, it's game over. It's not. There are batters behind him. I'd want the guy up who is least likely to make the out to end the game. Last season, that was Weeks.

[Bote McBoteface]

Is this a good time for an "it's called hitting, not walking" joke?

[JGalt73]

Deleted post. Missed the info being posted earlier due to current sliding debate. Edited February 19, 2008 by JGalt73